Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 17, 1933.

G. H. FASETT REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 30. 1951 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 17, 1233 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE Application medApril 80, 1981. Serial No. 534,013.

This invention relates chiefly to refrigerating vehicles such asrefrigerator cars and refrigerator trucks, being also applicable torefrigerator ships and to cold storage compartments in air craft, but isalso applicable to other situations, including stationary installations,for which mechanism of the type hereafter described. is suitable.

The invention aims to rovide for the mechanical refrigeration of coldstorage compartments, particularly in such vehicles, by means of powertaken from any convenient rotatin member, such as a car axle or apropeller 5182B}, according to the nature of the installation. Thissource of power is to be used while the vehicle is in motion butrovision is also made for operating the re igerating machinery by othermeans when the vehicle is at rest. Thermostatic control or pressurecontrol is provided, eifective whether the vehicle is in motion or atrest, to regulate the operation of the refrigerating mechanism to thedesired temperature ranges in the refrigerated compartment. Theprinciples of the invention are also applicable to water coolers and thelike.

A further aim is to provide apparatus of the sort described which shallbe simple, rugged and durable, not likely to get out of repair, butreadily repaired in case of necessity, which can be constructed to alarge extent with elements which are at present standard and which canobtain its source of auxiliary power from means which are to-day widelyavailable. Other aims and purposes of the invention will be apparent asthe description proceeds. I

I have described and illustrated in somewhat diagrammatic style apreferred embodi ment of my invention, but it is to be understood thatthe description and drawin are illustrative of the principles employebut are-not to be taken as limiting other applications of thoseprinciples.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross sectionthrough a refrigerator car showing the application of my improvedapparatus thereto, and Fig. 2 1s a wiring diagram applicable to myappara tus.

In Fig. 1 I have omitted unnecessary details and followed a diagrammaticstyle of illustration in which an assembly of driving mechanism andrefrigerating elements are shown as mounted in a railway carlO having anaxle 11 carrying a bevel gear 12 engaging with a corresponding bevel 13on the lower end of the vertical shaft 14 which extends up into the car.This shaft is broken in two places by clutches as indicated at 15 and 16and has a gear connection 17, here shown as a worm, at its upper end tothe drive shaft 18 of a refrigerating gas compressor 19. This compressoris in turn connected by piping in the usual manner to coolingcoils 20and a condenser 21. The invention is designed for use with any ordinarytype of mechanical refrigeration.

The shaft which has been generally designated as 14 is herein shown asconveniently comprised of three sections indicated from bottom to top as14", 14 and 14 each in suitable supports such asroller step bearings.The upper section 14 includes a flexible connection 14 to the wormsection 17. This connection is conveniently operated by means of twooppositely coiled springs one within the other to absorb the shock ofstarting in either direction. The refrigerator compartment proper isconnected to a thermoresponsive device or pressure responsive device,such as the sylphon 22, which in turn actuates a connection such as thelever train 23 to the clutch 16, the relations of the lever train beingsuch that the clutch 16 is connected when the refrigerator compartmentbecomes too warm and disconnected when the correct chill is attained.For ordinary operation while the car isrunning, the clutch 15 will beconnected by suitable means, such as a handlever 24 and appropriate rods25, it being contemplated that the lever 24 will be set to connect theclutch 16 when the train is made up. Ohviously it will be within thepurview of the invention to include automatic means for engaging theclutch 15 when the car iscoupled up in a train.

In order to provide power for operating the gas compressor 19 when thevehicle is at rest, an electric motor 30 is provided, a controls.

venient connection between this motor and the shaft 14 being by a worm31 on the motor shaft and worm gear 32 on the section 14 of the verticalshaft. Arrangements, diagrammatically illustrated by the rod 33, areprovided for disengaging the worm from the worm gear when power is to beapplied from the car axle. This disengaging arrangement is preferablyconnected to the rod 25, thus insuring against the possibility of theworm being connected to the worm gear when the drive is to be from theaxle 11, and also avoiding the possibility of the clutch 15 beingengaged when power is to be taken off the motor 30.

A connection and power lead to the motor 30 is provided in the box 34 onthe outside of the car, from which the conductor will lead by conduitssuch as 35, 36, 37 to various switches as described below and to themotor. The wiring leading up to the motor 30 will preferably be suchthat the mechanical controls and interlocks above described will besupplemented by similar. electrical con- The essential details of thewiring system are shown in diagrammatic style in Fig. 2 in which theconnection box 34 is shown with leads 35 to a switch 38, leads 36 fromthis switch to a second switch 39 and finally leads 37 to the motor 30.It will be obvious that the motor cannot operate unless switches 38 and39 are both closed. Now referring again to Fig. 1, the switch 38 isshown as housed beneath the car floor and mechanically connected to therod and lever system 24, 25 so that when the clutch 15 is closed theswitch is open. The lever train 23 from the sylphon 22 is also connectedto the switch 39 so that at the same time the clutch 16 is disengaged,power is cut off from the motor.

Although the operation of the invention is believed to be clear from theforegoing description, it will be briefly summed up. Assuming the car tobe on a side track and above the correct loading temperature, a flexiblelead from a power line will be connected to the box 34. The lever 24will be positioned to disengage the clutch 15 at the same time close theswitch 38 and engage the worm 31 with its worm gear 32, the sylphon 22'will have automatically connected the clutch 16 and closed the switch39. Thus the gas compressor 19 will be driven by the motor 30. When thecar is cooled down sufliciently the sylphon will operate to open theclutch 16 and open the switch 39, of course being available to closethese again if the temperature again rises. \Vhen the car is made upinto a train the flexible connection to the box 34 will be removed andthe lever 24 will be thrown to close the clutch 16 and to' disconnectthe worm and worm gear 31 and 32. If the car is still cold the clutch 16will of course remain open. When the car is under way and thetemperature rises, the clutch 16 will be closed, thus allowing the gascompressor 19 to be driven from the car axle. Upon sufiicient reductionof the temperature the sylphon 22 will act to release the clutch 16, andso on. Since the mechanism is automatically self-protecting againstimproper clutch connections, all that has to be looked out for is toplug in an electrical lead at 34 when the car is to be stationary forany length of time and to operate the-lever 24 at the same time to closethe switch 38 and open clutch 15. In case of failure to connect theclutch 15 at the time when the car is made up into a train I of therefrigerating action when needed. However, it is within the scope of theinvention to provide automatic means for operating this clutch 15 in anyone of a variety of ways which need not be described.

A wide range of choice is possible in, the details of the mechanismemployed. This will vary according to the situation in which theapparatus is installed and to some extent according to the size of theapparatus. As already mentioned, the invention is not restricted to theexact form in which it is here shown, but its principles may be appliedin a variety of ways within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle, in combination, a refrigerating compartment,coolingmechanismthere for, an operative connection between a rotatingshaft of said vehicle and said cooling mechanism, means for disengagingsaid connection, secondary driving means for said cooling means. meansfor disengaging said secondary driving means, and connections betweenboth of said disengaging means permitting connection of only one at atime.

2. In a vehicle, in combination, a refrigerating compartment, arefrigerating mechanism, and a mechanical driving connection from arotatable shaft of said vehicle to said refrigerating mechanism,thermoresponsive means for engaging and disengaging said drivingconnection, and secondary means for driving said refrigeratingmechanism, said secondary means comprising an electric motor, athermoresponsive switch for said motor, and another switch for saidmotor, mechanical connections for disengaging said switch when saidmechanically operated driving connection is engaged.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus the combination of a gas compressor, ashaft for o crating the same, a clutch on said sha means for actuatingsaid clutch responsively to conditions created by said compressor, andtwo distinct means for driving said shaft, one of said means includingan electric motor,

there would of course be a failure and a switch actuated by said clutchactuating means for controlling said motor.

4. In a refrigerating vehicle, in comblnation, a refrigerator room, amechanism for reducing the temperature of said room, means responsive toconditions created by said mechanism for connecting or disconnecting toa driving element, said means comprising a shaft, a clutch between saidshaft and said mechanism, two independent drivin means for said shaft,clutches between said shaft and each of said independent driving means,and connections between such clutches so related that only oneindependent drivin means at a time can be connected to sai shaft.

Signed by me this 6th da of A ril, 1931.

GEORGE FA SETT.

